The Art of Loving
by max.tmy
Summary: After the war,Kakashi is forced to share an apartment with team seven, he finds himself falling unexplainably in love with all four of them. And for some unexplainable reason, they seem to be falling in love with him too.


**The Art of Loving:**

* * *

"Tsunade-sama, I cannot possibly live with four hormones driven, emotionally retarded adolescences," says Kakashi somewhat patiently.

The war is just over and the leaf victorious. As a result of which a staggering number of people, civilians and ninjas alike, have applied for citizenship in Konoha. Hence, the Hokage has been working sober non-stop on new immigration rules, assigning of homes and induction of ninjas into their government.

Suffice to say, Tsunade-sama was mighty pissed at a lot of things these days.

"There is simply no other place. It's either that or you can live on the street Kakashi," replies Tsunade working hard to control her temper, "Moreover, you and your team consists of orphans now that Sakura's parents are dead. She will need some emotional support. Sai needs social skills. The Uchiha needs to be kept under surveillance at least until Ibiki's reports are back. Naruto is the only one strong enough to stop him in case he snaps. All four listen to _only_ you. It's simple common sense to just live together."

"Fine then. I will pitch up a tent right outside your esteemed office, and I'd like to see your ANBU try and stop me," says Kakashi.

He wasn't glaring, because Kakashi never glares.

The last thought he has is that the vein popping up in Tsunade-sama's forehead is rather alarming.

.

Much later, Kakashi knocks on the apartment door which was to be his and team seven's official residence for the next few months. It opens immediately.

"Kakashi-sempai," says Sai smiling serenely, "I will show you around since Naruto said Sasuke-kun is a frigid bastard and might shut the door on your face."

Kakashi stares and blinks twice.

He recovers quickly and steps in smartly, shutting the door behind. He keeps his eye pointedly on the ceiling.

"Sai-"

"We have four bedrooms, and Naruto insists the one with the attached bathroom is for Sakura. Hence any two of us must share a room."

"That's fine-"says Kakashi still looking up.

"Since Sasuke-kun refuses to talk to me and you would prefer privacy-"

From the corner of his eye Kakashi spots Sasuke observing them in stony silence.

"-let him and Naruto share the room and-"

"Sai! That's really all good," says Kakashi sighing, "But why exactly are you naked?"

"Because we are roomies," says Sai with another placid smile, "and I read that roomies should get comfortable and share their most private things."

Oh. Dear. Kami.

Kakashi opens his mouth to strongly correct this misconception, when the front door bangs open and Naruto bounds in carrying the remaining of his belongings.

"You have a lot of luggage- AAAAAAYYYYAAAAAA WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU NAKED?"

Kakashi winces at the noise. He sighs and warily wonders perhaps if he was better off living on the street. Sasuke walks forward and picks up a box of his books and walks away into the apartment. Kakashi sighs and follows the Uchiha into the house instead.

Naruto's voice is bursting his eardrums now.

"You FUCKING moron, Sakura-chan will be here any MINUTE and she will fucking CASTRATE you," yells Naruto agitatedly. This turns out to be a mistake, as Sai offers to go into his room and get naked together to compare sizes, since that way Sakura will not be subjected to their nudity and they can open up and get really comfortable.

Sasuke stops outside a door and shoves the box into Kakashi. He then jerks his head to the other end, "That's Sakura's. Dobe and I are in the room opposite yours. The nutcase is right at the front."

Kakashi nods and enters his room. The house is small and smells faintly of stale ramen.

_Figures_.

Kakashi drops on his mattress listening to Naruto yell about indecency and room-mate rules and how it is insensitive to talk about comparing dicks in front of Sakura-chan.

He smiles.

Somehow he feels that things are how they were supposed to be.

.

When Sakura moves in the next day, Kakashi doesn't let her see him for three weeks straight, but is more aware of her presence than the mask on his face.

Kakashi has always liked Sakura.

It's a strange, undefined, tenuous sort of fondness that comes and goes in waves like tides or a sparkle of chidori. It tingles over his Sharingan when she speaks to him with her big green eyes full of trust. It bursts forth as pride when she saves a comrade's life, intensifies when she smashes mountains with her bare fists.

"You can't avoid me forever Kakashi-sensei," she says suddenly, softly one morning when the sun has just risen and the world still asleep, "Don't disappear now, I'm making tea," she says again with a glare walking into the kitchen.

Kakashi stares for a long moment and nods. He misses talking to her too. Sort of. Misses all those days when she seeks him out, left alone by the boys, likes how they find solace in each other's silent presence.

He likes the way that Sakura's hair is always falling into her eyes when she's working, and how she never bothers to flick it away. Kakashi notices Sakura's skin now, pale and rosy at the cheeks, the elegant curve of her neck, the line of her nose, the bow of her mouth and the rounded bottom lip, pink and bitten in concentration.

And then she looks too grown up. Too grown up and wearing such a short t-shirt with _nothing_ underneath. His eye travels up her toned bare legs. Suddenly she turns and catches him looking-staring at her naked legs.

Fuck.

Kakashi feels like an insect pinned to a giant white board. He composes himself quickly, with none of his facial muscles moving, and looks into her eyes challengingly.

But she sees through his facade and smirks amusedly. "You are not checking me out, ne Kakashi-_sensei_?" she asks, placing his tea in front of him.

He doesn't answer her in favor of reading and drinking the scalding hot liquid. It is disgusting and burns his tongue.

"I'm not checking you out, rather it was _you_ who did at that training session two months ago, moreover it is wrong for _me_ to do so…" he asks her, "don't you _think_?"

"We are not student-teacher anymore," she scowls.

She sounds too young saying this, childishly accusing. Kakashi closes his book with a snap and looks at her calmly.

She sighs and leans forward and kisses his lips. Then gives a theoretical lilt and walks away. Against his better judgment Kakashi turns around to watch her go. She is akin to a kunai now…and Kakashi is letting it cut through him. It is scandalous for a teacher to be lusting after his student. Especially someone as damaged as himself. Perhaps it is just mere residual instinct, from protecting her for all those years.

Perhaps a more romantic soul would call it love. Sort of.

"Residual instinct," he whispers, just as she closes the door to her room.

He feels a burning inside… somewhere he supposes, where his heart is.

.

The two of them stand panting. Blood and dead bodies litter everywhere. Kakashi walks into the enemy hide-out chakra flaring as he looks for traps or any kind of movement.

There are none. Mission accomplished.

Sai steps up beside him, removing his ANBU mask. Kakashi does too, placing his mask at the side of his head. Sai stares a bit longer and then steps closer. Kakashi doesn't move, except for raising an eyebrow and already labeling all the ways he can take the pale man down.

"Relax, sempai" says Sai and kisses him.

Kakashi is so stunned he doesn't react. As soon as he can think he pushes Sai back and asks calmly, "What are you doing?"

"Forming unbreakable bonds,"

Kakashi sighs, "This is not the way,"

Sai looks confused, "But...the book said, when two adults love and respect each other and-"

"Never mind what the book says...hmm. Did you do this before?"

"Hai," replies Sai," with Sakura…"

_Really?_

"…and Sasuke-kun."

"What?" gasps Kakashi.

Sai just smiles, "I could show you the pictures I made."

Now Kakashi is sure he was drooling like a crazed pervert. Sai steps closer again, "What will it be sempai? I want you..."

Sai is weird and powerful, brilliant and did not know a thing about human relations. And whatever he is, he is in Team seven now. And that's what makes all the difference.

"Will you really show me the paintings?" he asks the younger ANBU hopefully.

"Only if you let me do this," says Sai and kisses Kakashi, pressing him back until they come against a wall. Kakashi bites back a groan and doesn't stop Sai, as the adrenaline from the fight turns into a different kind of adrenaline, helped along by Sai's very skilled hands. Sai is rather flushed and his face is no longer pale.

Kakashi decides he likes it very much.

.

Days pass quickly and the inmates of team seven apartment learn not to let Naruto into the kitchen (you almost burned down the house baka! ), not to let Sasuke do the laundry ( all my clothes are purple teme! ) , not to let Sai bring the groceries ( why the fuck did you get only sugar and paint?), and to never ever let Sakura give them her home-made pills (Good lord woman! It stinks like dung!).

They learn to let Kakashi do the cleaning though. And he does it skillfully, almost a neurotic pristine cleanliness. And Naruto somehow manages to create mess in unlikely corners of the house.

But Kakashi isn't complaining. Because power corrupts every one and Kakashi is fucking glad, that it _cannot_ corrupt Naruto and Naruto will never change and that all the goodness in the world is Uzumaki Naruto, who not only gave him his peace with his father, but his team and belief in bonds back.

Minato-sensei would be bursting with pride had he been alive. Kakashi knows this, because he is too. Sort of.

He realizes Naruto is beautiful on a perfectly ordinary day as he comes across the original rookie nine during his inspection around the village.

Sai is there too, teaching shogi to Naruto, and there is much hilarity all around. Periodically, this little gathering is faced with admirers. Admirers of Uzumaki Naruto, toad sage and village hero.

The others surround Naruto and watch with unabashed glee, large smiles on their faces, as Naruto blushing furiously signs whatever his admires shove into him. They look young and happy-just as they should be.

Kakashi watches as Ten-ten says something and they all laugh, Naruto does too, throwing his head back and laughing, flashing a wide open smile. Kakashi's heart freezes and then sprints away as he thanks god the smile is not directed at _him_ and he doesn't have to _respond_ to it. Kakashi notices that from then on, whenever Naruto smiles, he is having trouble breathing.

Naruto is _dazzling_ and messy and lately manipulative, and he is like the open sky and honest and unbearably _pure_. Of course Uzumaki Naruto is beautiful.

A month later, when Tsunade-sama asks him if he'll consider fighting for the Rokudaime's title and die trying, Kakashi frowns at her and strongly recommends Naruto's name.

Tsunade-sama nods looking pleased.

Sakura is busy at the hospital and Sasuke is summoned to the ANBU quarters and Kakashi tracks Naruto down having lunch with Sai in this mostly empty restaurant. He sends the pale ninja away and settles in front of Naruto. Blue eyes look at him questioningly.

"The fifth is going to pick you to be our Rokudaime," he says softly, "It's not official just yet…but..I think you should be prepared in case of other challengers' or political disagreements over her choice."

Naruto stares at him for whole minute in dead silence. Then he lets out an ear splitting yell and runs out of the restaurant hands in the air, shouting about his many virtues and charming good looks.

Kakashi sighs. He hurriedly follows and grabs Naruto by his arms and shoves him to a deserted corner on the street.

"Who else is there to challenge me?" asks Naruto once he is a little calm.

"Not everybody will do the right thing like you" says Kakashi wagging a finger at him," the jonin council is known for its treachery or your challenger could be someone from a prominent clan…like Konohamaru-kun or worse Hyuuga Hanabi, in which case the battle will be delayed until you are old."

Soft yellow bangs move as Naruto shakes his head, frowning, "I will not fight with them."

Kakashi stares and trying to appear relaxed, asks, "What do you mean?"

Naruto looks at him, razor sharp and goes very still. The afternoon light falls on the three scars on his face, illuminating the golden hair. He looks like the White Fang's katana when he does that, Kakashi muses. Silent, deadly and truly one of a kind.

"How can I hurt the ones I'm protecting Kakashi-sensei? That is the opposite of what a Hokage stands for," Naruto says softly, "the opposite of what you taught me."

The stupid nobleness in stupid Naruto is fucking stupid.

Kakashi leans forward and kisses him.

He feels Naruto startle and then slowly relax. When he steps back, he intends to apologize but ends up just staring into the blueohsoblue eyes. Naruto is still looking amazed but a smile slowly makes its way into his face, lighting it up.

"If you are going to kiss me again…at least do it properly, Kakashi-sensei!" he says with much amusement before making a seal and teleporting away.

Kakashi sighs and covers his face. Naruto can be noble to his heart's content. But he and the remaining team seven are not. He will use every trick in the book to make Naruto the sixth Hokage, even if it's the last thing he will do, decides Kakashi grimly.

He looks towards the heavens where he is sure Minato-sensei is laughing his ass off.

.

The village continues to be rebuilt and improvements are starting to show. Konoha is back to business and starts accepting mission requests. Kakashi and his team are routinely sent out on missions sometimes individually and sometimes in pairs.

And then one day Uchiha Sasuke is back to being a Shinobi of the leaf.

Ibiki's reports finally arrive and declare that the Uchiha had been working in best interests for Konoha and one Uzumaki Naruto's well being. Kakashi knows he should feel relived. But he can only manage a greedy triumph, like a wash of water, soothing and deep. It is official now, he and his team have just won the war for Konoha.

_No, Jiraiya-sama…contrary to popular belief, I did not fail as sensei. _

He watches his team from the window still now, as Naruto launches into an elaborate explanation of how he charmed the five kages with his dashing good looks and power, before they even considered hearing the Uchiha's name in their presence and how he convinced them of Sasuke's part in the war.

It takes a whole minute and a half before Sasuke looks up from his lunch and speaks, "I don't give a fuck what they think of me."

"What the hell does that mean?" asks Naruto immediately, blue eyes narrowing.

There is silence for a while and then, "It means Sasuke-kun cares only about _your _opinion Naruto," says Sai pleasantly.

Sakura chokes, Naruto blushes and Sasuke…separates his tomatoes daintily so that they are not touching anything else. His fingers and hands dance over the mundane utensils and badly cooked food like they are choreographed, and Kakashi wonders what lunches with Uchiha Mikoto had been like.

Sasuke is half-asleep with hair sticking out in every direction, and is still having manners as if he is eating with the fire daimyo.

Defining the way that he felt about Sasuke himself is like fighting in a mist jutsu. Kakashi knows something is there, not sure what it is, but hidden in the fog, never letting him relax, least he be attacked.

Things had been less complicated before the sound.

Before the sound, Sasuke and Naruto are rivals, friends and brothers. Sakura tags along and Kakashi commands them and crafts them into responsible ninjas. They are clumsy and idiots and bursting with raw power, but it doesn't matter because they are _his_.

And Sasuke broke them apart.

There was no denying it. He always did favor Sasuke. Even as a child, there was darkness in Sasuke that always fascinates him. The darkness is replaced by an unending _tranquility_ now. Like somehow Sasuke is finished with his work he is born for. All that remains now is Naruto and home, and for Sasuke, one cannot be found without the other.

Kakashi doesn't miss out the irony that out of them all, _Sasuke_ should find this equilibrium first.

Sasuke leans into the wall, outside the Hokage's office and watches Naruto greet the third's brat, along with Kakashi. Except that Kakashi is not watching them at all, and fixes his attention solely on Sasuke. The afternoon light makes the Uchiha's hair blacker and skin paler, makes Sasuke look breathtaking and beautiful.

He stares at Sasuke silent and appreciative, feeling the full impact of what they have survived to get here.

Sasuke coolly looks back at him when he notices it, solemn and still. Kakashi smiles, eye crinkling and says he's very glad to have Sasuke back home again.

A flash of something passes in the black eyes and Sasuke juts out his chin, refusing to be embarrassed. But the corners of his mouth curl just a little and he lets Kakashi see him smile after nearly seven years and it is still infuriatingly perfect.

He has Sasuke's full attention now, and Kakashi knows danger when he spots it. The smile elicits an uncomfortable acceleration of his heartbeats and spreads warmth through his fingers.

And Kakashi decides then and there never to let anyone break team seven again. To keep them together and tied to each other, using whatever means necessary.

The feeling is strange, unsettling because Kakashi is not Naruto, and Kakashi is still staring and knows he is in serious trouble when he sees Sasuke's eyes slant wickedly a smirk playing on his lips.

Later, he is standing on the terrace when Sasuke announces his presence quietly and steps right into Kakashi's personal space.

Uchihas didn't beg. Uchihas didn't ask. The world belongs to them and they simply take it.

Kakashi feels a powerful rush, a need that demands to be handled right there and he does, without hesitation, as if he's done it a million times before. He manages to fumble out of the daze long enough to whisper, "Naruto?" word lazy despite the urgency he felt.

Sasuke doesn't even blink, "He is not…."

_Yet._

"Ah" says Kakashi.

Black eyes stare at Kakashi and Kakashi stares back, unabashed. Sasuke is the most beautiful person he has ever seen. Naruto can be pathetically naïve sometimes.

And Kakashi must be just pathetic because he lets Sasuke trail hot kisses all over and teleport them away.

.

Very soon, Uzumaki Naruto is declared the Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha.

His first appointment is to make Hatake Kakashi his council member and head advisor, all the while glaring at the elite ninja gathered as if daring them to argue. Nobody did. Nobody will. Because this is team seven and you do not want to get caught in the crossfire.

Uchiha Sasuke is appointed the head of ANBU. Sai is in charge of the Hokage's and the village's safety. And Sakura looks after the entire village. They are now a new foundation for a new Konohagakure, Kakashi thinks.

And Kakashi is... is unexplainably in love with them all and for some unexplainable reason; they seem to be in love with him too.

They are too powerful and do not need Kakashi but seem to want him any way. For which he is fucking grateful. And if this is what life is…..then Kakashi is _happy_.

Sort of.

_

* * *

_

Author's note:

_hopefully there will be another chap, if enough people like it._

_plz review :)_


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